Special Delivery – Edward Francis Daly, Sr.

Edward Francis Daly Sr., my maternal great-grandfather, was born on May 13, 1870, in Waterbury, Connecticut. Edward was the son of Michael Daly and Hannah Mulcahy, both immigrants from Ireland. In 1889, Edward married Mary Ester Butler in Portland, Connecticut. In the census of 1900 and 1910 for Portland, CT., his occupation is listed as carpenter.

From 1914 through 1921, he was the appointed postmaster for Portland. Edward died on November 13, 1937 at the age of 67. His obituary (left) notes that he was the building superintendent at the Portland Trust Company (Bank) for the 10 years prior to his death. Edward was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), the largest and oldest Irish Catholic organization in America and was grand knight of the local Knights of Columbus council in Portland.

In 1914, Edward was named by President Woodrow Wilson to be the postmaster for Portland, Connecticut. He was nominated to be postmaster by Congressman Bryan Francis Mahan (New London, CT.), who was a lawyer by trade and postmaster of New London, CT. before and following his term in Congress. Note: The service record of Edward’s son (Edward Jr.), lists his employment in 1917 as a clerical worker for the postmaster (his dad) of Portland, CT. Here is a post about Edward Jr. – Pvt. Edward F. Daly Jr. – WW1 Pv Co C 3 BN 20 En

Did Edward suffer a horrible injury in 1895 while working as a joiner for the Berlin Iron Bridge Company? While I have no confirmation, everything (name/occupation/residence) lines up that this was my great grandfather. (Article – 1895 – Hartford Courant)

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated

Pvt. Edward F. Daly Jr. – WW1 Pv Co C 3 BN 20 Eng

My maternal great uncle, Edward Francis Daly Jr., was born 20 October 1899 in Portland, Connecticut. Edward enlisted in the American Expeditionary Forces on August 8, 1917 and joined Company C, 3rd Battalion of the 20th Engineers (Forestry). According to the transit document for his passage home, Edward served in the Medical Detachment for the 3rd Battalion.

Drawing from a unit history of the 20th Engineers, I provide select highlights of the journey Edward took from enlistment to his discharge from the Army. The hint that allowed me to develop this post – Pv Co C 3 BN 20 Eng – was on an index card from the U.S. Veterans Bureau that listed his service record. My appreciation to Michael Daly for the amazing photograph of his grandfather in uniform and his research on the Daly family.

15 August 1917 – General Order Number 108 authorized the formation of the 20th Engineer Regiment (Forestry) at Camp American on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C. Due to overcrowding, the 3rd Battalion moved first to Fort Belvoir, Virginia and then to Fort Myer, Virginia for basic training.

15 December 1917 – Washington, D.C. – The Third and Fourth Battalions paraded Pennsylvania Avenue, led by the Fourth Band, they were reviewed from the portico of the War Department Building by the Secretary Baker. (below – photograph)

2-3 January 1918 – the 3rd Battalion moved to Jersey City, New Jersey to sail for France. They joined the 4th Battalion on the U. S. S. America and sailed, with 44 officers and 1956 enlisted men on board, for France, arriving in Brest, France on January 17^th.

17 January 1918 – (Three hours from France) Lookouts sighted a torpedo wake heading for the America, it narrowly missed the stern of the ship by twenty feet. The submarine was never sighted.

23 January 1918 – Company C was sent to a hardwood operation at Sauvigney les Gray, in the upper valley of the Saone, and under the Dijon administration. The timber harvest required long hauls to the mill by narrow-gauge logging railways.

The forestry troops of the 20th Engineers produced roughly 200 million feet of lumber in France. The current monthly needs of the Army (1918) were 50,000,000 feet of lumber and timbers, 250,000 railroad ties, 6,500 pieces of piling and cribbing, 1,500,000 poles and entanglement stakes, and over 100,000 cords of fuel wood. The the great bulk of the material was produced by the forestry troops. (Forest History Society)

11 Nov 1918 – Following Armistice, Company C, 3^rd Battalion remained in France for six months providing fuel, rebuilding roads and dismantling the mills and camps.

14 May 1919 – Edward boarded the Santa Paula and arrived in Brooklyn, New York on 28 May and was disbanded at Camp Merritt, NJ.

Sources:

3rd Battalion, 20th Engineer Regiment (Forestry) – Unit History

Forest History Society – World War I: 10th and 20th Forestry Engineers

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

James C. Daly – Communicating in Battle – WW1

My maternal great-uncle, James Charles Daly, was born February 1892 in Portland, Connecticut. A cigar maker by trade, James enlisted in March 1918 in the American Expeditionary Forces and was assigned to Company C, 103^rd Field Signal Battalion, 28^th Infantry Division. At the time of enlistment he was twenty-six years old and was described as tall, medium build with black hair and brown eyes. After two months of military training at Camp Devens (MA) and Camp Mills (NY), James sailed for France, arriving in La Harve on June 5, 1918.

During World War 1, the 103rd Field Signal Battalion was the main signal support organization for the 28th Infantry Division of the American Expeditionary Forces. The strength of the 103rd Signal Battalion was close to 500 personnel in 1918.

According to his service record, James participated in battles at Marne (2^nd), Thiacourt, Meuse-Argonne, Chateau Thierry (note photograph above – was Charles in the room?), Oise-Aisne, and Saint Michel.

On September 7^th, during the Battle of the Ourcq River, James was gassed and needed to be transported to Hospital No. 5 on the coast near the town of Camiers. He was treated at the hospital from September 10 to October 18 and then returned to his unit for duration of the war.

James was cited for bravery for his service and was honorably discharged from service in May 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey. He returned to Portland, Connecticut to live with his parents and work for a cigar manufacturer, Julius Kuntze, in Meriden, CT. James never married and died in October 1926 at the age of 34.

***James C. Daly worked for Mr. Julius Kuntze***
***before and after his service in World War 1.***

Cousin Joe – I wrote a previous post on Charles’ cousin, Sargent Joseph Aloysius Grace (1892-1918) who died on October 11, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Operation in World War 1. Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, Bar Nothing (AAA-O)

Hospital No. 5 – At the time the Charles was recovering from being gassed, my paternal grandfather, George B. French was working at this hospital. Pvt. George B. French – World War 1

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.